This is bad, just bad. The CPA, the Bush Administration, and Iraqi power brokers are making deals over Fallujah. The primary part of which is to have Iraqi Civil Defense Forces and Police take control of Fallujah and pull the Marines back. Make no mistake that this is a political decision by civilians in a place where military commanders should be making the calls. That has never been a recipe for success.

At one point, it was estimated that one in ten Iraqi policemen were working for the terrorists and insurgents. So now we are going to depend on these trustworthy men to take care of this situation?

We are throwing away the lives of those who fought in Fallujah for nothing.

Why?

Because we'll be fighting these Ba'athist insurgents and terrorists again.

But we won't just be fighting these morons, we'll be fighting more insurgencies around the world because this will be perceived as victory in the eyes of the Arab world. Don't believe me? Just check out Al Jazeera when this comes down the official pipeline.

The call will go out - the Americans can be defeated. As I said, this is bad. And I really hope that I'm wrong.

The only solution is to send in the Marines, take down the insurgents, and spend millions on rebuilding the city and putting people to work.

When Mr. Habib is working hard every day and Mrs. Habib is happy with having food on the table, Mr. Habib will be too tired to pick up a rifle at night to fight us and Mrs. Habib won't want her gravy train to get killed. It's that simple.

Update 8:30AM CST: Commenter Ron points out that Wretchard from the Belmont Club thinks otherwise. I hope he's right. I also wonder what Phil Carter thinks. He's off-line this weekend (and congrats on graduating from law school).

Also, here is an article about what Army Gen. John Abizaid, the US Central Command CinC, had to say about this move and to caution us on expectations.

Update 1:20PM CST: Forget what I said about Al Jazeera. Just check out this Reuters article (notice the headline).

..."The city's defenders are celebrating," yelled one man as a group of gunmen in civilian clothes raised green banners and rifles aloft on a street to acclaim the "defeat" of the Marines...

The article also concedes that the Marines know that some of the new Iraqi force had been fighting the Marines just days ago.

Comments

Showdown - Part 6 (Fumble)

This is bad, just bad. The CPA, the Bush Administration, and Iraqi power brokers are making deals over Fallujah. The primary part of which is to have Iraqi Civil Defense Forces and Police take control of Fallujah and pull the Marines back. Make no mistake that this is a political decision by civilians in a place where military commanders should be making the calls. That has never been a recipe for success.

At one point, it was estimated that one in ten Iraqi policemen were working for the terrorists and insurgents. So now we are going to depend on these trustworthy men to take care of this situation?

We are throwing away the lives of those who fought in Fallujah for nothing.

Why?

Because we'll be fighting these Ba'athist insurgents and terrorists again.

But we won't just be fighting these morons, we'll be fighting more insurgencies around the world because this will be perceived as victory in the eyes of the Arab world. Don't believe me? Just check out Al Jazeera when this comes down the official pipeline.

The call will go out - the Americans can be defeated. As I said, this is bad. And I really hope that I'm wrong.

The only solution is to send in the Marines, take down the insurgents, and spend millions on rebuilding the city and putting people to work.

When Mr. Habib is working hard every day and Mrs. Habib is happy with having food on the table, Mr. Habib will be too tired to pick up a rifle at night to fight us and Mrs. Habib won't want her gravy train to get killed. It's that simple.

Update 8:30AM CST: Commenter Ron points out that Wretchard from the Belmont Club thinks otherwise. I hope he's right. I also wonder what Phil Carter thinks. He's off-line this weekend (and congrats on graduating from law school).

Also, here is an article about what Army Gen. John Abizaid, the US Central Command CinC, had to say about this move and to caution us on expectations.

Update 1:20PM CST: Forget what I said about Al Jazeera. Just check out this Reuters article (notice the headline).

..."The city's defenders are celebrating," yelled one man as a group of gunmen in civilian clothes raised green banners and rifles aloft on a street to acclaim the "defeat" of the Marines...

The article also concedes that the Marines know that some of the new Iraqi force had been fighting the Marines just days ago.

The Authors

Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, "Blackfive" started this blog upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. Email: blackfive AT gmail DOT com

Instapinch
Bill Paisley, otherwise known as Pinch, is a 22 year (ongoing) active and
reserve naval aviator. He blogs over at www.instapinch.com on a veritable
cornucopia of various and sundry items and will bring a tactical naval
aviator's perspective to Blackfive. Readers be warned: any comments of or
about the F-14 Tomcat will be reverential and spoken in low, hushed tones.
Email: wpaisley AT comcast DOT net

Mr. Wolf has over 26 years in the Army, Army NG, and USAR. He’s Airborne with 5 years as an NCO, before becoming an officer. Mr. Wolf has had 4 company commands. Signal Corp is his basic branch, and Public Affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in Kuwait and Iraq, in Intel, PA, and senior staff of MNF-I. Mr. Wolf is now an IT executive. He is currently working on a book on media and the Iraq war. Functional gearhead.

In Iraq, he received the moniker of Mr. Wolf after the Harvey Kietel character in Pulp Fiction, when "challenges" arose, they called on Mr. Wolf...
Email: TheDOTMrDOTWolfAT gmail DOT com

Deebow is a Staff Sergeant and a Military Police Squad Leader in the Army National Guard. In a previous life, he served in the US Navy. He has over 19 years of experience in both the Maritime and Land Warfare; including deployments to Southwest Asia, Thailand, the South Pacific, South America and Egypt. He has served as a Military Police Team Leader and Protective Services Team Leader and he has served on assignments with the US State Department, US Air Force Security Police, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He recently spent time in Afghanistan working with, training and fighting alongside Afghan Soldiers and is now focused on putting his 4 year Political Science degree to work by writing about foreign policy, military security policy and politics.

McQ has 28 years active and reserve service. Retired. Infantry officer. Airborne and Ranger. Consider my 3 years with the 82nd as the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. Interests include military issues and policy and veteran's affairs.
Email: mcq51 -at - bellsouth -dot- net

Tantor is a former USAF navigator/weapon system officer (WSO) in F-4E Phantoms who served in the US, Asia, and Europe. He is now a curmudgeonly computer geek in Washington, DC, picking the taxpayers pocket. His avocations are current events, aviation, history, and conservative politics.

Twenty-three years of Active and Reserve service in the US Army in SF (18B), Infantry and SOF Signal jobs with operational deployments to Bosnia and Africa. Since retiring he's worked as Senior Defense Analyst on SOF and Irregular Warfare projects and currently ensconced in the emerging world of Cyberspace.

The Authors Emeritus

Major Pain --
A Marine who began his blog in Iraq and reflects back on what he learned there and in Afghanistan. To the point opinions, ideas and thoughts on military, political and the media from One Marine’s View.Email: onemarinesview AT yahoo DOT com

Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.

Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.

COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.